Hisense XT880 compact 4K UHDTV revealed

Hisense has unveiled the Hisense XT880, a 4K UHDTV notable for its slightly more modest size.

Chinese manufacturer Hisense looks to be bringing something a little more manageable to the fledgling ultra high definition (or 4K) TV market. The Hisense XT880 TV set it just revealed (via Engadget) features a number of high-end features, including a rather more compact range of screen sizes.

The Hisense XT880 comes with a 50-inch, 58-inch or a 65-inch panel. These may sound far from modest compared to current HDTV sets, but it's positively minuscule compared to many other early UHDTV efforts.

Both Sony and LG (in the shape of the LG 84LM960V) have showcased early UHDTV sets with 84-inch screen sizes, which rather limits the number of living rooms they can fit into. Of course, with an average cost of around £15,000, size isn't the only limitation.

The Hisense XT880's smaller screen size should ensure that it fits into both living rooms and budgets more comfortably.

The UHDTV standard presents a four-fold jump in resolution over the current 1080p HDTV standard - which explains why Sony and LG are intent on presenting it in huge 84-inch form. It's said that even at this size, it's impossible to discern the individual pixels in a 4K picture - even from inches away.

Of course, the Hisense XT880 isn't the first 50-inch UHDTV we've seen. Earlier in the year we reviewed the Toshiba 55ZL2, which retails for around the £7,000 mark.

The Hisense XT880 will also be fully 3D capable and will have smart TV functionality based around the Android 4.0 OS and its in-built Wi-Fi capability. Interestingly, the Hisense XT880 will also feature a removable camera that supports facial recognition, gesture control and Skype calling.

The TV's controller also has a microphone, making it capable of receiving voice commands.

There's no news on a release as yet, but Hisense has confirmed it will be showing the XT880 off at CES 2013 from January 8 of next year. Expect it to be very competitive on price when it does finally launch, potentially bringing UHDTV technology within reach of the masses. Or at least those of the masses with a few pennies to spare.More TV News >